America wants to forget that it has been at war for more than nine years. America wants to forget that it has sons and daughters fighting in foreign lands; and it obviously wants to forget that it has mothers paying the ultimate price.

There is so little agreement in America right now, but this playlist is dedicated to the thought that we should all agree to be respectful and thankful to our service people. I wholeheartedly salute our troops tonight. Thank you for your extraordinary service.

For years I marveled at the military's leadership in advancing the cause of civil rights within the ranks. It now has an opportunity to prove that the institution can be hospitable and welcoming to openly gay men and women.

As a truly world class rehabilitation facility closes at Walter Reed, that facility is being replaced by fragmented and geographically separate facilities. Now care for our combat wounded is about to suffer further.

Logistics prevented us from bringing books to distribute in, but what astonished us was the number of books brought by service members to be signed. Never has a group of writers made this journey to Iraq.

Phytoplankton is a keystone plant species and is the basis for all life in the ocean, responsible for producing 70% of the oxygen of the planet; the very air that we breathe. And they are disappearing at an alarming rate.